“Who Counts as a Woman” is a 2019 article in the New York Times written by the Canadian Philosopher and associate philosophy professor at Massachusetts, widely known for her publications on moral philosophy and feminist theory. In the article, Hay dissects one of the most debated topics in recent times regarding transgender women and why they should not be included as women. Hay asserts that defining womanhood ought to use not just one single and distinctive way but rather have a definition that caters to the inclusion of the trans population.
Hay does not agree with the attempts being made to exclude the trans population from recognition in the definition of womanhood. Having a set of characteristics that singularly rule who can be considered as a woman is not enough to include the trans population. Hence, Hay argues that trans individuals ought to be included as women, which would disagree with defining womanhood as involving a set of shared experiences and lived lifestyles. Hay, in support of Simone de Beauvoir’s argument, says that being recognized as a woman does not base its meaning on being born but rather on living to become one. One becomes a woman by their way of living, which aligns with the cultural and societal definition of womanhood.
Womanhood cannot seek only to use distinctive characteristics to define a woman. As Hay argues, gender identity does not involve following a set of singular elements that categorize who is to be considered a woman. In her arguments, she advocates for people to recognize the trans population as being women through acceptance of diversity among women. Recognizing that the trans population is just a diverse category in the general population of women. This would demand the elimination of a single narrative to classify what womanhood is. Trans populations do experience and share common life experiences with women that make them considered women. Hay argues that in the same way that society has recognized and accepted diversity of race, financial status, and disability among its population, they ought to have the same inclusiveness of trans individuals under womanhood.
Explanation of Hay’s Reasoning Process
Trans people are supposed to be respected as an element that makes up the cultural context. Hay claims that having distinctive traits to define and categorize gender identities is not enough to include the experiences that intersect for the different gender identities. She believes that having gender defined by a single rule excludes the trans population, yet they share numerous elements and life experiences with women. Hay supports the numerous prior arguments and conclusions made by other researchers and scholars, who have recognized that womanhood is not only achieved as being born a woman. By following this guide, womanhood would be inclusive of the trans population. She argues that women have diverse experiences in society, which opposes the use of singled-out experiences as enough to define womanhood. For example, Sojourner Truth, being an African American woman, questioned if she was qualified to be classified in womanhood following the distinctive experience she had lived. The Truth account challenges society to accept what womanhood is.
Reasons for Supporting Carol Hay’s Argument
One reason for supporting Hay’s argument is to emphasize gender as a cultural construct. A person is not born as a woman; rather, they experience life and share characteristics which will then include them and recognize them as women. Hay’s claims are in support of Simone de Beauvoir, whose argument is that being a woman starts with living similar life experiences as a woman rather than being called a woman for having a single set of traits. Following this argument, the trans population would be included in society as women following their hard experiences.
In addition, intersectionality and the influence of societal traits promote the recognition that being a woman follows shared living experiences. It has several sets of distinctive living experiences that are similar to having different races and financial statuses among members of the society. Accepting that being a woman should follow diverse characteristics so as to accommodate different life experiences. Hay’s argument seeks the society to accept trans individuals the same way they have accepted women of color, or a woman with physical defects as still a woman. Hence, Hay’s argument opposes how society has oversimplified womanhood only to exclude the trans population.
Objection and Response
From an essentialist perspective, the inclusion of transgender women challenges the universal definition. Most of these opposing arguments revolve around “women-only spaces,” claiming that transgender women are not “real women” since they have gone through as trans women, as opposed to as women designated female at birth. Despite the lack of proof, arguments opposing trans-inclusive policy often center on the protection of cisgender women from male assault. A similar argument is raised when transgender women are involved in women’s athletic competitions, such as the case of Lia Thomas, who participates in the women’s Swimming competitions. Most of the opponents claim that the debate on the inclusion of transgender women is based on biological sex, which would create unfairness or threaten the safety of other athletes. Hay’s arguments that counter the objections are based on the definition of gender identity not biologically but by individual, social, and cultural factors. Hay’s argument that womanhood should not be defined on the basis of a single factor challenges the essentialism perspectives. Whereas most of the objections revolve around protecting women, Hay’s argument outlines the need to protect transgender women as marginalized groups.
In an interview with Judith Butler in the Guardian, Judith Butler reviews the constructivist approach to gender contributing to the debate on the inclusion of transgender women. As stated by Gleeson, the reporter, Butler claims that gender identity is not an inherent essence, and hence, it keeps changing. To further support the response, Butler claims that there is no harm in appreciating what transgender women are achieving in their chosen category since it is a part of the future of masculinity. Gender is a way of establishing new realities which are defined by cultural norms and historical constraints. Butler also argues that gender is an ongoing assignment in which, even after being assigned a gender at birth, there are a series of expectations that follow, shaping a person’s gender identity. This perspective on gender identity supports Hay’s arguments on defining a woman in a single category, such as the biological definition of objections.
To further support Hay’s argument, Mendes et al. delve into transgender individuals’ encounters in sports, narrowing it to intercollegiate competitions. Similar to Hay’s perspective, the article outlines the deficiency in defining transgender women and the way much of the emphasis is on the unfairness and safety of women. As a result of the discrimination and deficit in categorizing transgender individuals, there are biases in the competitions, leading to fear of participation or poor performance. As Mendes et al. states, most existing policies attempt to lean toward inclusion but fail to define transgender women based on a non-singular category clearly. Similar to Hay’s arguments, the article focuses on the setting of policies beyond the traditional norms to ensure that they are more inclusive. The debates revolving around the inclusion of transgender women in women’s competitions outline the challenges in understanding the definition of a woman and also show the limitations within which most policies operate. Therefore, there is a need to address the deficits in those policies further to ensure an equitable and inclusive society for transgender women.
Conclusion
In conclusion, society ought to recognize the trans population as one element of diversity among the numerous diversities found in society. Hay argues that in the same way that society has accepted the inclusion of disabled and financially disadvantaged women, so should it learn to accept that the trans population is just another diverse trait and life experience that completely falls in the definition of womanhood. Hay’s argument would, therefore, promote the inclusiveness of diverse genders as cultural makeup, which accepts that a woman’s experience is lived rather than born with, and recognition of diversity in society.
Gleeson, J. (2021, September 12). Judith Butler: ‘We need to rethink the category of woman.’ The Guardian. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/07/judith-butler-interview-gender
Hay Carol. (2019, April 1). Who counts as a woman? The New York Times – Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/opinion/trans-women-feminism.html?smid=url-share
Mendes, L., Morgado, E. G., & Leonido, L. (2023, June 6). Social Inclusion of Transgender People in Intercollegiate Sports—A Scoping Review. Social Sciences, 12(6), 335. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12060335
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